Personal Trainer Newsletters
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HealthFX America
Vol. 33 Newsletter September 2005
(If you no longer wish to receive this newsetter please opt-out by clicking on the button at the bottom of
the page)
In this issue:
* Parenthood and Exercise: Are They Compatible?
* Featured HealthMax Pro Exercise - Outer thigh lifts
* Exercise Quick Reminders
* Featured Recipe
***Parenthood and Exercise: Are They Compatible?***
It seems like forever, but it was only a couple of years ago that I was a young, idealistic trainer with no
kids. I couldn’t really understand why people would come in to the studio and complain that they don’t
have any time to exercise when they were “just” stay-at-home moms. They must just not really want to do
it, is what I thought. One of my favorite things about getting older is gaining perspective and empathy on
more of life’s situations. Clearly, as a non-parent, there was no way I could understand what it was like to
live life taking care of a child, let alone more than one child. One of the first things I had to come to grips
with as “just” a stay-at-home mom was that this was not the time for me to be in the best shape of my life.
Not only did I not have the time or energy for that, but I knew I was planning on putting my body through
pregnancy and childbirth again within just a few years, so if I did put all kinds of time and energy into
getting into great shape, I was just going to have to do it all over again. I hope I am not being too much of
a downer, but we are only human beings! I think there is way too much pressure placed on moms,
especially, but dads too, to be super-parents. Our house needs to be immaculate. Our kids need to be
well-behaved. And we are supposed to walk around in very fashionable size four clothes with our hair
done and our make-up on. Ummmmm… not going to happen! So am I just accepting that I am going to
be fat, disheveled, and out of shape until my kids are out of the house? Of course not!
I think we would all have better mental health if we aimed for decent in all of the previously mentioned
categories. So, how can you find time to keep your house “decently” clean and your hair “decently”
done? Other than pay for it, I have no clue! That is NOT my area of expertise! When you figure it out,
email me.
I can try to help with the exercise part, though What can you do as a busy parent to help keep yourself in
DECENT shape?
1. Remember that exercise is not a punishment God gave us for eating too much. It can be a gift if you
focus on what it IS giving you not what it isn’t giving you. It helps reduce your stress levels. It increases
your “feel-good” hormones. It helps to wake you up although does not actually take the place of sleep.
When the kids are napping or in bed for the night, it doesn’t take away from your “you” time. It IS “you”
time.
2. Realize that you are already more active during the day than you were before you had kids. Even if
you work full-time, when you get home you are doing kid stuff rather than sitting on the couch watching
TV. Be happy about that! Kids have extra calorie burn built in!
3. Plan walks or outings into your day. Both you and the kids need to get outside, so don’t disregard that
walk to the park because it wasn’t planned “exercise” time for you.
4. Have your kids do an exercise video with you. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in our country so they
need the exercise too. As a parent, you quickly learn how closely your children are watching you and how
much they imitate. When you exercise in front of them, you are not being selfish; you are teaching them
something very valuable and giving them something very valuable at the same time.
5. Get an in-home exercise machine, like the HealthMax Pro. =) Seriously though, strength training is SO
important to overall health and can be accomplished in a short period of time especially if you don’t have
to go anywhere to do it.
I know that being a parent is overwhelming, but you can do it and feel good. You may just have to change
a few habits and thought patterns to get there. Good luck and go for it!
***Featured HealthMax Pro Exercise***
Squat
*This is a difficult exercise. If you have bad knees, I would not recommend this exercise for you.*
The muscles being used in this exercise are the hamstrings (back of upper leg), quads (front of upper
leg), and gluts (butt). The quads are doing most of the work, but if you concentrate on allowing the hams
and the gluts to do more, they will. You can also try the pre-exhaust technique outlined above.
To prepare the machine for this exercise remove the bench from the machine and choose any of the four
positions of the inner handles on the Y bar. Adjust the bottom cylinder to 1 and adjust the top cylinder to
desired intensity level.
Begin the exercise standing facing the HEALTHMAX PRO pad with your feet on the foot plates. Your
hands should be gripping the handles on the Y bar at shoulder level with your palms facing forward.
To complete this exercise, begin by pushing your butt back at an angle behind you, as if you were going
to sit in a chair, as far as possible, pulling the handles down with you as your hands stay at shoulder
level. Then return to the starting position. Your torso will angle forward as you are pushing your butt
backwards. In other words, your chest will drop down towards your legs. Be sure to keep your back flat
like a table and your abs tight. It is important to try not to let your knee bend to the point where your knee
is past your foot. You want to try to keep your knee directly above your ankle. To do this you really
need to push your butt back and lean forward.
You can also experiment with where the pressure in your foot is coming from. If you focus on pushing with
the toes, you will be putting more emphasis on the quads. You if focus your pressure though the heel,
you will be putting more emphasis on the gluts.
***Exercise Quick-Reminders***
One of my favorite quotes, although I don’t know who said it, is “You want your house to be clean enough
to be healthy, but messy enough to be happy.” Don’t worry about a few dirty dishes piled up! Get outside
and run around with your kids! You will both benefit from it
Info found at http://www.womentodaymagazine.com/fitnesshealth/exercising_heat.html
***Featured Recipe***
Marinated Cucumbers
(Our garden didn’t do great this year except for the cucumbers! We have ton, so I am making this recipe
all the time.)
¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon celery salt, if desired
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1 large cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Mix first five ingredients in bowl. Pour over sliced cucumbers and onions. Toss to coat. Cover and chill
for two hours or up to five days.
From Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
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